


Tomorrow's Troubles

by AmyNChan



Series: Miraculous Angst [10]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 19:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10315241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyNChan/pseuds/AmyNChan
Summary: But that was a thought for tomorrow.Those were all thoughts for tomorrow.  Melancholy was for tomorrow and so was responsibility.





	

The breeze danced through his wild hair, causing it to become all the more unruly.  The crisp night air settled around him, the cold somehow making him feel warm.  The black of night stretched out before him, though he could say he saw everything clearly.

It must have been the night vision.  Or possibly the monuments alight in the night.

Chat Noir sat in his private little space, watching the city stretch out before him.  From here, he could see the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower and even the glow of the tip of the Louvre could be seen in the distance.  He was hit once more with the striking realization that Paris truly was a beautiful place to live and just how lucky he was to be a part of it.

The thought made him chuckle.  A black cat with luck.  No, that was better suited for—

“You’re early,” said a voice from behind.  The melancholy smile on his face took on a much happier tone.

“So are you,” the superhero returned.  His partner took a seat beside him, her legs dangling off the side of the building just as his were.  “Were you _feline_ antsy to meet up with this cat again?”

She snorted at his pun.  Probably because there wasn’t a battle to attend to.  Probably because she was nervous at what they were going to do.  Either way, it made him feel better.

“That was terrible.”  That probably made her feel better, given the smile she wore.  It was a little strained, but not as bad as when she had first sat down.

“You love it,” he reminded her in that sing song way of his.  She didn’t deny it, and only continued to smile.  Her eyes scanned the view before them, taking in the beauty of their city.

He, on the other hand, observed her.  Her shoulders were slouched in forced nonchalance.  Her smiling eyes were thinly veiling just how tired she was.  Her mask was only barely keeping the façade in place.  The façade they both wore.

“Paris is really beautiful, isn’t it?” asked his partner.

“Oui.”

His heart ached as he watched her.  He knew what she was doing.  He had been doing it just before her arrival, after all.  She was memorizing the city.  _Their_ city.  The lights off the Eiffel Tower.  The different rooftops that could be seen from this angle.  Their city was spread out for them, a visual wonder for only their eyes to behold.

But they could not behold such beauty forever.  It, along with too much power and not enough purpose, would burn them.  Beauty could all too easily become a tantalizing temptation, an addiction which could lead them too far astray.  And so, they had chosen tonight to be their final night.  A night they could spend together as partners, as friends, before the dawn would come and sweep them away into a life they would choose to devote themselves to.

No more Hawkmoth to defeat.  No more powers to enjoy.  The two superheroes would be responsible and hand them into the Guardian tomorrow when the sun arose.

But that was tomorrow, and tonight was theirs to enjoy.

“It’s funny…” she said at long last.  “I thought our last night of this…  I thought we’d want to run around the city, enjoy the feeling of the wind in our hair, or at least do some play fighting just because we can.  We have super strength, super agility, gadgets we’ve had for years and powers we’ve only _just_ unlocked…  I could even cast a Lucky Charm to see what would happen.  But now that we’re here…”

Her sentence trailed off, but he knew what she meant.  He felt it as well.  He turned his attention from his partner—his first love and the woman she had become—to the scenery before him.

“It’s like the worst part of it is that we’ll never get to look at our city like this again.”

“Oui…”

The two of them sat there, side-by-side.  It was almost disorienting.  Fifteen years of fighting, of constant movement and interaction, of sleepless nights and busy afternoons to protect this city, of sacrifices both personal and non.  To protect _their_ city.

“I’m going to miss it,” said the hero.  “I’ve lived in Paris my whole life, but this…  I’ll never have this again even if I stay.”

Her breath caught.  And then she sighed.  And laughed.  There was no humor in her tone.

“That’s right…” she said.  “You told me you were leaving.”

“For a while,” he agreed.

“Do you know when you’ll be back?”

He did not have an answer for her.  There were several things he needed to take care of.  There was so much riding on his shoulders, so much to do as a civilian.  Almost too much to bear alone.

But that was a thought for tomorrow.

Those were all thoughts for tomorrow.  Melancholy was for tomorrow and so was responsibility.

“Ladybug, let’s do one last patrol.  While the night’s still young.”

* * *

 

The city positively sparked around the two superheroes, gracing them with enough light to have their race.  Thirty years of age and Ladybug still felt like a teenager in the suit, just as flexible, as durable, and as energetic as before.  The world seemed to open before her, allowing her to explore as many rooftops and crevices of the city as she could.

And explore they did.  Her partner had to have found at least three of their secret hideaways while she had discovered five.  She still couldn’t believe they had found a whole wheel of Camembert in one of them.  The smell still hung around her nose.

“I bet I can reach the top of the Eiffel Tower before you can!” called the superheroine.

“I’m pretty sure I can _cat_ -ch up!” returned her partner.  She only laughed and propelled herself further.

Laughter.  Running.  Competing.  Playing.  How long had it been since she had been able to do any of those things?  Her own life was difficult at the moment, filled with stress pouring in from every angle and no end in sight.  The recent defeat of Hawkmoth had eased her burden as a hero, but where he had once antagonized another had taken his place.

She shook her head.  She could deal with tomorrow’s troubles tomorrow.  For tonight, she ought to relish in her victory.

“Fifteen years later and I still have you beat, kitty,” teased the woman as she stood atop the tower.  Her partner grinned from the place where he had stopped, a mere two bars from the top.

“You always were faster,” he said, a smirk on his lips and laughter bubbling out of his throat.  Such a sight—her partner, just enjoying the moment regardless of win or lose—warmed her chest and allowed her a breathless laugh.  Victory was nice, but this…  this was always better.

“Chat—”

The words died on her lips as the lights went out beneath them.  The tower always shut down at two in the morning, but the action of suddenly being in the dark always jarred her.

“Chat?” she asked as she waited for her eyes to readjust.

“Right here.”  His voice was so close to her.  He must have climbed those last two bars to be with her as she took a moment.  She smiled.  Her kitty was always there for her.  Always.  For as long as they had been partners, he had been by her side.  Picking her up.  Covering her weaknesses.  Helping her improve her strengths.  He’d always been there.  Right there.

“Thank you.”

The words were simple, but she hoped with all her heart he could understand them.  That he would know just how much he meant to her, just how lost she would be without him.  His companionship had been one of the things that kept her rooted in this strange reality she called her own.  His friendship kept her going most nights.  Especially lately.

She swallowed away the emotions that were threatening to overtake her.  The time for such sadness was coming, but it wasn’t upon them yet.  They still had the night.  They still had each other.

And she wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize these last precious moments to share with him.

“…Ladybug?” asked her partner.  She released a shaky breath, an imitation of the carefree laughter she had just moments before.  His concern was still so endearing.

But she would have to hold off addressing it until the morning.  They still had tonight to cherish.

“Do you want to take advantage of those Ladybug and Chat Noir discounts one last time?”

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir sat atop an apartment complex with their picnic. The food had long since been eaten, though the blanket and basket—gifted to them by a grateful citizen—helped maintain the amiable mood.  As they watched the sky shift from one dark gradient to the next, they knew their time was running short.

Daylight was coming for them.

Their lives as civilians were coming for them.

To some degree, both of them were wary of the coming changes.

“Chat…  We’re not making a mistake, are we?” asked Ladybug.  Her fingers traced over the spotted and pawprint pattern on the blanket.  Ladybug noted faintly that it must have been handmade.  “Giving up the miraculouses…  leaving this all behind.  It’s for the better, isn’t it?”

Chat knew his partner, and he knew of the fears she had been harboring for the better part of a month.  He knew that she had been going through some personal difficulties—none of which had been actually disclosed to him with the secret identity and all—and that being Ladybug had helped her escape as it had once helped him.

But he also knew that this was the most responsible decision they could make.

“The threat of Papillion is gone, Ladybug.  If we don’t let this go, we could end up being the next threat to the city we love,” Chat reminded her.  She opened her mouth to argue when he settled his hand atop hers and finished.  “You told me that.”

Ladybug’s retort died on her lips and she curled in on herself again.  She was being selfish and she knew it, but she didn’t want to stop being Ladybug.  She didn’t want to stop taking midnight runs without worry, didn’t want to stop flying through the air on a yoyo string, didn’t want to stop being in the suit.

But she knew she had to.

“Besides,” her partner continued, squeezing on her hand lightly.  “It’s not like you’ll go through this alone.”

Ladybug smiled faintly.  Of all the changes the morning would bring, this would be the largest.  While it was true she would no longer have the Ladybug Luck that always gave her a bit of a confidence boost, that loss would be counterbalanced with the knowledge that she could contact her best friend if ever the need arose.  They would be able to _talk_ , to _hang out_.  All the things they couldn’t do when Hawkmoth had been in power, they would be able to.

They would be free to do that.  And Ladybug had a feeling it would be nice.

And so, with Chat Noir by her side, they cleaned up the picnic and headed out.

It was time to return the miraculouses.

* * *

Chat Noir touched down in front of an old massage parlor.  It was a building he and Ladybug had become familiar with over the years as they had often come for guidance and—in later years—training.  Master Fu had understood their desire to keep their identities hidden from each other and had assisted them by only addressing them by their superhero personas while they were both in his presence.

The elderly miraculous holder opened the door to let them in.  He knew what was coming.  They had already discussed it with him and he had agreed to help.

“I assume you have not revealed yourselves to each other yet?” asked Mater Fu.  Both he and Ladybug shook their heads.

“We thought it would be better to do it here, where we can walk out as civilians without anyone wondering why we were on a roof,” said Ladybug.

Master Fu said nothing, only hummed as he turned towards Chat.  “My boy, could you grab the phonograph for me?”

Dutifully, Chat rose and grabbed the item.  He supposed he would have to put it back after the reveal and before he and Ladybug departed.  Perhaps, if he ever made it back to Paris, he would visit Master Fu every once in a while.  That would be nice.

“Here you go,” said Chat as he placed the item down before Master Fu.  The elderly man nodded gratefully before he attended to the buttons, punching in a code that Chat Noir had long since memorized and revealing the box which was meant to contain the seven miraculouses.

“In returning the miraculouses to their rightful place, you are willfully severing the bond with your miraculouses and kwamis.  This is the healthiest separation for both you and your kwami, who will return to dormancy, as you already know,” stated the elder.  He turned to Ladybug first.

“Ladybug is a mantle to be worn by the creative and quick thinking.  It requires cunning and decisiveness, traits which you have grown into and displayed proudly.  Do you willfully choose to leave the mantle behind, while the characteristics remain?”

“Yes,” replied Ladybug.  Master Fu nodded before turning to Chat, who immediately focused on the guardian before him.

“Chat Noir is a mantle to be worn by the kind and empathetic soul.  It requires the inborn and cultivated resistance to the evil forces which could use its powers for harm, a resistance which you have kept and refined for many years.  Do you willfully choose to leave the mantle behind, while the characteristics remain?”

“Yes,” stated Chat Noir.  The elderly man nodded and pulled two small containers from the large box, placing one before each superhero.  Chat could recognize easily, despite the amount of time since he had last seen it.

“Please return the miraculouses, but never return the lessons they have taught you,” said Master Fu.

Chat Noir took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  This was the final part of the separation ritual.  He knew it was meant to keep Plagg and himself from being emotionally or physically damaged by giving the miraculous up, but even though he had already said his goodbyes, he still felt an attachment and warmth towards the responsibility which had both given him so many things, but had also taken so much away from him.

But he would never trade it.  Not one moment.

He willed the transformation to release and felt Plagg’s energy leave him for the last time.  Adrien Agreste opened his eyes and looked directly at Master Fu, knowing Ladybug’s release had been just as personal as his own and not wanting to intrude on the moment.  He placed the ring into the box before him and gently closed the lid.

“Thank you for your service.  May you live happy lives,” finished Master Fu.  Adrien watched one elderly hand gather the box and whisk it away.  He sighed.  Goodbyes were hard, a lesson he had learned very well over his life, but this one was sure this one was to be followed by a hello that would make the sacrifice all the sweeter.

“Thank you, Master Fu,” chorused the now former superheroes.  The elderly man smiled and placed the boxes in his phonograph, then sealed it.  It looked like a normal phonograph again.

“If you’ll excuse me,” said Master Fu.  “I must rest.”

“You’re not going to stay?” asked Adrien, eyes wide.  He had thought that their mentor would stay and discuss things further, perhaps preside over the reveal.  He felt silly for expecting that, but they _were_ in his home, after all.

“I’m afraid not.  I trust neither of you will do anything questionable in my home and it has been some years since I have moved around so much.”

“Do you need any help?” asked Ladybug.

He should look.

He shouldn’t look.

But they agreed they would!

But not yet!  Together is what they said, as partners!

“Thank you, but I’m fine.  I do believe the both of you have a promise to uphold instead.”  With a final knowing glance, Master Fu left the room, leaving the two of them together.  The tension was palpable.

“So…” said Ladybug.  “On three?”

Adrien searched for her hand and found it quickly.  He gave it a light squeeze.  She squeezed in return.

“On three,” agreed he.

“One…” said she.

“Two…” he continued.

“Three.”

As he looked up, a wave of emotions hit him at once, so suddenly and with so much potency that he could not differentiate between them.  His throat closed up, his eyes dilated, his breathing became short.

His hand felt clammy.  It felt numb.

“Well…” choked out Marinette.  “This is…”

“Yeah…” he agreed, barely able to push the word out of his windpipe.  It was too much.

His ex-wife could only stare at him, and he could only stare back.

This was awkward.  Neither had expected ‘tomorrow’s troubles’ to come so soon.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Tomorrow's Hopes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11529219) by [PerditaAlottachocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerditaAlottachocolate/pseuds/PerditaAlottachocolate)




End file.
